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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28522290">Stay With Me</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/g0d0d/pseuds/g0d0d'>g0d0d</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Haikyuu!!</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Aged-Up Character(s), Angst, Established Relationship, Fluff, Graduation, Hurt/Comfort, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, I'm Bad At Tagging, Karasuno, M/M, Mentioned Hinata Shouyou/Kageyama Tobio - Freeform, Mentioned karasuno team, Minor Sugawara Koushi - Freeform, Not Beta Read, Sad Yamaguchi Tadashi, Soft Tsukishima Kei, Tsukishima Kei/Yamaguchi Tadashi Fluff, Tsukiyama - Freeform, Yamaguchi Tadashi's Freckles, mentioned hinata and kageyama relationship</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 20:34:23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Not Rated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Major Character Death</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,187</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28522290</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/g0d0d/pseuds/g0d0d</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Tsukishima and Yamaguchi have movie nights Friday, date night Saturday, but this time, Saturday never reached nightfall</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Tsukishima Kei/Yamaguchi Tadashi</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>26</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Stay With Me</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Tsukishima looked across the gym at his best friend. This was the last time they’d be stepping in this gym as students of Karasuno. Those three years had gone by in a flash. Tsukishima had never imagined that he would ever be emotional about not being a crow anymore. Three years ago this was just a place where he’d run a few laps and block a few hits and then leave. It was “just a game”. That was three years ago.</p>
<p>Today, tears stung his eyes. This was the day that he’d been dreading. The day where he finally had to leave. As Yamaguchi and Tsukishima started walking towards the net in the gym, they both looked around. Memories flooded into their minds. The memories of the day in first year when they got their first jerseys, the day they got invited to the Tokyo training camp, Yamaguchi hitting his first jump float serve, Tsukishima shutting down Asahi’s spike for the first time, the first time they saw the freak quick attack, the last day of practice with Asahi, Suga, and Daichi, and then Tanaka, Nishinoya, Ennoshita, Kinoshita, and Narita. Their first practices with the incoming first years, the day Yamaguchi became captain, the day they played their last game. It was “just a game”. Not anymore. This was the place where Tsukishima, Yamaguchi, Hinata, Kageyama, and Yachi formed their unbreakable bond. This was the place Tsukishima fell in love with Yamaguchi. This was the place where all their stories began.</p>
<p>As the two boys reached the net, tears stinging both their eyes that were a little raw from crying for the past few hours, they looked into each other's eyes. Without exchanging any words, they both knew what the other was thinking.</p>
<p>Stay with me? Stay with me.</p>
<p>Still silently, Tsukishima ducked under the net so that he was on the same side as the green haired freckled boy. Afraid that if he started speaking he’d sob, Tsukishima just reached his hand out for Yamaguchi to hold. A small smile spread across Yamaguchi’s face as he intertwined his fingers with the tall blondes. Looking Yamaguchi in the eye, Tsukkishima gave his hand a light squeeze as if to say “you ready?” The freckled boy nodded his head slightly and the two boys started walking toward the exit of the gym for the last time. Together.<br/>
***<br/>
“Tsukkiiii!!!!” Yamaguchi’s voice rang out as he saw his blonde boyfriend walking through the door of their kitchen, still dressed in his clothes from interning at the museum. </p>
<p>“Tadashi,” said Tsukishima in a tired voice as he walked towards his freckled boyfriend, ruffling his green hair that was a little damp from his shower earlier. Looking over his shoulder, Tsukishima planted a kiss on the slightly shorter boy's cheek. </p>
<p>“Why don’t you get changed into something more comfortable while I finish heating up the leftover take out, and then we can go find a movie to watch?” Yamaguchi asked, blushing under the feeling of Tsukishima’s hand on his head. </p>
<p>“But I am comfortable right here with you,” Tsukishima said, pulling Yamaguchi into a gentle embrace, gently swaying from side to side. “Dance with me, will ya?”</p>
<p>“Thee Tsukishima wants to dance in a kitchen with his arms around me? Are you feeling alright?” Yamaguchi asked in a teasing manner, swaying slightly with the rhythm of the imaginary music playing in Tsukishima’s head. </p>
<p>The two just swayed in their kitchen for a few minutes, enveloped in each other's arms, as if they were the only two people left on the planet. Neither of them broke the silence that had fallen between them, and neither felt the reason to. There were often silent moments between them, but neither of them minded it, as long as they were together, both boys could be doing anything and still be perfectly happy. </p>
<p>Eventually the sound of Tsukishima’s stomach gurgling broke their peaceful silence. Yamaguchi laughed gently as he finally broke their gentle sway and ushered his boyfriend to their shared bedroom so that Tsukishima could get changed while he heated up their food. </p>
<p>“Stay with me?” Tsukishima said, popping his head through the doorway, a smile and bright eyes plastered on his face.</p>
<p>“Stay with me,” Yamaguchi responded with a gentle shake of his head and a light laugh. They had never felt the need to say “I love you” between the two of them so the question and response of “stay with me” has become their own special way of telling each other that they do love one another. </p>
<p>After Tsukishima had changed into his old Karasuno sweats and a cliche dinosaur shirt Hinata had given him for his birthday, the two boys settled down on the couch together with an assortment of leftover foods from throughout the week spread out on the coffee table in front of them. The food ranged from the remaining pieces of a pizza they shared earlier in the week to some homemade floppy french fries Tsukishima tried to make for Yamaguchi earlier in the week. This has sort of become a weekly tradition the two would do every Friday. They would empty out all the leftovers in their fridge and eat them together while watching whatever movie they found first on the tv. Saturday was always the two’s big “date night”, but secretly they both enjoyed the Friday night feast much more. It was the perfect way they could end any busy week. No matter what was going on around them, they could shut out the world for a few hours and just be alone with each other, some leftovers, and a movie they’ve both probably already seen a million times. </p>
<p>Yamaguchi ate the last few fries as the first commercial break rolled around.  That always happened. Together they would have all the food eaten within the first 15-30 minutes of the movie and then just cuddle for the next few hours, one of them inevitably falling asleep. During the commercial break Tsukishima quickly brought all the dishes and boxes to the kitchen, setting them down on the counter and dashing back to the couch, into Yamaguchi’s arms, as fast as he possibly could. Just as the final commercial of the break was ending, Tsukishima dove into Yamaguchi’s open arms and the two of them held each other in a warm embrace for the rest of the movie.</p>
<p>The feeling of Yamaguchi petting Tsukishima’s hair and the gentle sound of his heartbeat pressed against his ear gently lulled the tall boy to sleep. After a few moments he gently started to snore, causing Yamaguchi to stare at him, a smile spreading across his face. The freckled boy gently pulled his boyfriend closer, careful to not wake him, and nuzzled his nose into his hair. These were always his favourite moments. Yamaguchi wishes he could build a time machine so that he could go back to his first year self and tell him to swallow those butterflies in his stomach and just tell his best friend the true feelings he had. Maybe if he had admitted to his feelings before their third year of highschool, they would have been able to share moments like this in highschool. Of course, they shared plenty of oddly close moments in their first few years of highschool like when they kissed each other in Tsukishima’s kitchen because they “couldn’t be 16 and never had their first kiss”. That was the first time that both of them had realized just how deep their feelings for each other, but both boys kept those feelings pushed down for almost a year after. Maybe if one of them had the guts that day, they would’ve been able to do the coupley stuff that they made fun of couples for doing. Like the time they had walked by Hinata and Kageyama having a stargazing date. Secretly, both Yamaguchi and Tsukishima wished that it could've been the two of them lying in their front yard, in each other's arms, surrounded by a big blanket, while they stared up at the stars. But they’re together now and can have those moments together now. That’s all that matters. </p>
<p>It was around 2 am when the movie ended. Yamaguchi didn’t bother waking up the boy sleeping on his chest. Instead, he just shuffled the two down on the couch a little, their legs hanging slightly off the end, and pulled the throw blanket that was draped over the back of the couch over the two of them. The sound of Tsukishima’s gentle snores lulled the freckled boy to sleep quickly. </p>
<p>Tsukishima woke up and found his glasses that Yamaguchi must’ve taken off, put them on and looked over to the clock. 9 am. Tsukishima looks at the boy he’s laying on top of. Yamaguchi’s chest slowly rises and falls as the green haired boy sleeps. Tsukishima gently puts his fingertip on one of Yamaguchi’s freckles, softly dragging it across the splatter of freckles on his boyfriend’s face, careful to not wake him. This is one of his favourite things to do when he wakes up before his boyfriend. Yamaguchi used to be so insecure of his freckles, once even went so far as to try and erase them with a pencil eraser, but they were one of Tsukishima’s favourite parts of him. When they were little, Tsukishima realized that when Yamaguchi blushed, he looked like a strawberry, so when he went home that night he got a strawberry and attached googly eyes to it, pretending it was his friend. That night he fell asleep with the strawberry in his hand, and when his mother came to check on him before she went to bed, she saw him holding the googly eyed strawberry, and heard him whisper something about how he “really liked Tadashi’s freckles”, or that’s what his mom tells him. </p>
<p>Yamaguchi stirred awake under the feeling of Tsukishima’s finger being dragged across his face.</p>
<p>“Kei?” The green haired boy asked, sleepy voice all crackly.</p>
<p>“Oh, I didn’t mean to wake you, Yama,” the tall boy said, blushing that he’d been caught. “Well, now that you’re awake, get ready. It’s my turn to pick the activity for date day and we’re starting early.”</p>
<p>Yamaguchi grumbled from under his boyfriend, but didn’t put up a protest. Instead, he just hooked arm around Tsukishima’s neck and pulled him in for a kiss. Their lips connected and both boys smiled into each other. It was moments like these that both of the boys wished that they could’ve had on highschool. Early morning kisses where they had nothing but time. </p>
<p>Eventually, both boys were ready. Tsukishima locked the door behind them as they headed on their way.</p>
<p>“First thing on the agenda, breakfast at that cafe you like down the street,” Tsukishima said as he intertwined his hand with Yamaguchi’s. The late fall air was chilly, but neither of them seemed to mind, it just meant that there was more of a reason to walk extremely close together. </p>
<p>It must’ve rained that night because there was a thin layer of ice on everything. Tsukishima held Yamaguchi’s hand extra tight, knowing what a clutz his boyfriend was. This of course made Yamaguchi smile. He loved when Tsukishima would hold him a little tighter because it reminded him that the blonde boy would never leave him, he’d always have him by his side.</p>
<p>“Stay with me?” Yamaguchi asked abruptly. This must’ve startled the blonde because he loosened his grip, causing Yamaguchi to slide on the ice. The green haired boy lost his footing and slipped like a video game character on a banana. Tsukishima, like a knight in shining armour, scooped his boyfriend up before he could hit the ground. He pulled him in close to him and laughed gently while a smile spilled across his face.</p>
<p>“Stay with me,” he responded, pulling Yamaguchi into a soft kiss. The cool air around them made their lips a little chilly, but that didn’t seem to bother either of them in the slightest. They were in each other's arms. Together. </p>
<p>They pulled away from their kiss, Tsukishima making sure he had a firm hold on his clumsy boyfriend's hand. </p>
<p>Together they waited at the intersection, waiting for the signal telling them they could go ahead and walk. Tsukishima saw the green light flash first and started walking, gently pulling Yamaguchi behind. Once again, Yamaguchi slipped and let go of Tsukishima’s hand, but there was a huge patch of ice under him, causing him to slide forward. At that exact moment, a big black car came skidding through the intersection, heading right towards Yamaguchi. On instinct, Tsukishima rushed towards the boy he loved. He managed to push Yamaguchi out of the line of impact, but tsukishima couldn’t gain any traction on the ice under his feet and the car made direct impact with the left side of his body, tossing him a few meters away. </p>
<p>Yamaguchi screamed as he saw the boy he loved get hit and thrown into the air, landing in a way that he knew wasn’t good. Yamaguchi ran over to Tsukishima’s bent and damaged body.</p>
<p>“TSUKKI!? TSUKKI!?” He frantically shouted. “SOMEONE CALL AN AMBULANCE.” </p>
<p>The people around pulled out their phones and started calling for an ambulance. Yamaguchi held Tsukishima’s hand and put his head on his lap. People started crowding them, but Yamaguchi didn’t notice. All he noticed was that the only person he’s ever loved was lying on the icy pavement, body contorted, breathing shallow. He stroked Tsukishima’s face and hand. </p>
<p>“Kei. Kei, it’ll be okay. Help is on it’s way. It’ll be here soon. You’ll be safe. It’ll be ok,” the worried boy kept repeating, almost like he was having trouble believing it himself.</p>
<p>Tsukishima knew he wouldn’t make it. He could feel his bones broken, knowing that the impact had caused some of his vital organs to be punctured. He knew that he wouldn’t be leaving this pavement alive. Using some of his remaining strength, the blonde boy grabbed the murmuring boy's hand and intertwined their fingers. He thought they had forever together, but suddenly their forever was cut short, too short. Tsukishima thought they would grow old together. He truly thought that the green haired boy crying above him would be the person he died in the arms of, but they weren’t supposed to be 22. They were supposed to be 94 and in an old folks home, peacefully passing together. A single tear fell out of Tsukishima’s eye as he felt Yamaguchi squeezing his hand and frantically yelling. </p>
<p>“Tadashi,” Tsukishima sputtered out, pain coursing through his body.</p>
<p>“Tsukki? Yes? What is it Tsukki?” Yamaguchi frantically asked, looking down into the eyes of the boy in his lap. As he looked into Tsukishima’s eyes, he knew that only one of them would get up from this spot alive.</p>
<p>“T-Tadashi, stay with me?” The dying boy asked, looking up into the crying eyes of the only person to have ever loved him. This would be his last request and they both knew it. </p>
<p>Tears flowed out of Yamaguchi’s eyes and he squeezed Tsukishima’s hand tighter. Those were the last words he wanted to hear right now. This couldn’t be happening right now. Not to them. The universe clearly had something against the two of them. </p>
<p>Yamaguchi swallowed and took a shaky breath. He looked down at the blonde boy in his lap. His beautiful blonde hair now blood stained. His golden eyes glazed over and rapidly losing life. Tadashi didn’t want to accept this. He couldn’t be losing him. Not here. Not now. But he knew the truth.</p>
<p>“Tsukki, stay with me.” </p>
<p>Tsukishima heard those words and a small smile spread across his face. This wasn’t how he planned on dying. Not even close. But at least he could die knowing that the boy he loved more than anything in the world knew how much he meant to him. And by knowing that, Tsukishima could die happy.</p>
<p>Yamaguchi saw the boy in his lap smile up at him. Yamaguchi dipped his head down so that his lips could gently press against Tsukishima’s. Under his lips, he could feel Tsukishima use the last bit of his strength to kiss him back. Yamaguchi sat back up and saw the look in Tsukishima’s eyes. It wasn’t a look of regret or even pain. It was a look of love. And with that, Tsukishima’s chest stopped moving. He was gone. </p>
<p>Gone.<br/>
Yamaguchi screamed and cried. The ambulance finally showed up, but it was too late. The people that had crowded around the two boys had separated so that the paramedics could get through. But Yamaguchi knew they didn’t need to do anything. Tsukishima was taken off of Yamaguchi and Yamaguchi was pulled away, still crying, no longer screaming. </p>
<p>Tsukishima was pronounced dead at the scene.<br/>
***<br/>
Yamaguchi stood at the doors of the Karasuno High volleyball gym. Looking into the empty room, net strung up, ball cart in the corner, practice jerseys hanging to dry on the railing, banner rolled out. </p>
<p>As his eyes scanned the banner, it brought tears to his eyes. </p>
<p>Fly.</p>
<p>Yamaguchi chocked down tears as he felt someone come up beside him. He turned his head and saw his grey haired friend. </p>
<p>“Sugawara, you didn’t have to follow me,” Yamaguchi says, secretly grateful.</p>
<p>“I didn’t. I just had a feeling that this was the place you’d be,” Sugawara responded, a slight tremble in his voice. “You know, a few days before it happened, Tsukishima gave me a call.”</p>
<p>This surprised Yamaguchi. Tsukishima and Sugawara never seemed that close while they were on the team together, but after he graduated, Sugawara and Tsukishima grew closer. But Yamaguchi didn’t know they were that close. </p>
<p>“W-what did he say?” Yamaguchi asked, biting down on his lip, holding back tears. </p>
<p>“Well,” Sugawara started. “He told me that he was in love. He said that everyday when he woke up next to you, he felt like he’d finally made it. He went on to say how he knew he was only 22, but he knew that you were the person he was supposed to end up with. And the day before...it happened…. he asked me to go shopping with him for this.”</p>
<p>Sugawara pulled a little black velvet box out of the pocket of his dress pants. He turned to Yamaguchi who now had tears burning the corner of his eyes. Sugawara put the textured box in his hand. Yamaguchi opened the box and gasped.</p>
<p>It was a ring. Not too big or flashy, but a ring. </p>
<p>“He was planning on asking you to marry him on the end of that big spectacular date,” Sugawara said, hoping it would give Yamaguchi some form of relief.</p>
<p>Yamaguchi, who was now full on sobbing, pulled the ring out of the box. It was just a simple band of silver, but to Yamaguchi it was perfect. Through his tear filled eyes Yamaguchi caught an engraving on the ring. Reading those words brought pain, but also comfort to his heart. </p>
<p>Stay with me.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Sorry for this. It's a little rushed but late night writing solves all problems. Hopefully you enjoyed this. Thank you for reading!!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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